Church-Key Grains of Wrath Double IPA

Brewed by Church-Key Brewing
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Pethericks Corners, Canada

Serve in Snifter, Tulip

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UPDATED: JAN 24, 2008 On tap at Volo - came a clear copper shade with a good sized white head that left thick lacing. Aroma fairly non-descript: some sweet malt and a faint hoppiness, but nowhere near what I’m used to for a DIPA. Flavour makes up for the aroma somewhat - really grainy (grains of wrath, fer sher), sweet, boozy, with a good solid amount of hops. Quite well-balanced. Could use, as HogTownHarry mentioned, "an infusion of C-hop crispness". Otherwise, a quality brew, but pretty subtle compared to other DIPAs I’ve had. Different. Definite kudos for the attempt, possibly the first Ontario-brewed DIPA? Nice....

Cask days 2011. This beer confuses me. Was the brewer going for a double grain beer with a doule amount of bittering hops? I can taste the malt bill you would use for a double ipa to balancet out the hops, but there are zero hop aromatics here. NONE. This was all grains, now dont get me wrong, it was tastyand i enjoy a beer with a nice cereal bill to it, but to categorize this a double ipa is just confusing.

Cask. Amber pour. The nose is really vegetal. Hops add bitterness but not much aroma. The first dud of the day. A bit of caramel but not at all fresh or tasty.

Bottled, pours a nice copper, the smell is a nice hoppy brew. the taste is very bitter indeed and the malts really come through. the best way to describe this beer is a very hopped up alt beer. It is actually really nice. My favorite offering from church key.

Bottle courtesy and thanks to HogtownHarry. This is one I’ve wanted to try for some time now. Deep amber/orange topped with a fluffy off white cap. Nice lace. Nose is upfront with the pine and citric hop, a lot of grapefruit. Caramel malts and an earthy woody nose becomes noticeable as it warms. Tastes pretty straight up like an IIPA. Heavy on the caramel malts, some bubble gum, leading to a grapefruit pith and piney cirtic hop bite. Quite hoppy and bitter. I liked it. Thanks for the bottle Harry!

Copper pour with a weak head. Visibly low carbonation. Sour weak scent. Surprisingly non-chruch Key tasting. Bready sour taste, with some tartness. There is a small splash of sweetness in the middle but the aftertaste is way too bitter for me.

UPDATED: SEP 5, 2008 650 mL bottle. Lovely reddish brown with a medium head. It fades to a film, but still leaves nice lacing. The aroma is surprisingly restrained, but pleasant; grapefruit, grainy malt, a touch of alcohol, and something herbal. Flavour is not as hoppy as a lot of the Americans, which isn’t necessarily a good thing, but it’s different. Caramel, fresh fruit (green apples?), toast, and earthy hops. Alcohol disappears from both aroma and flavour as the beer warms. Nice bitterness lingers through the finish. Medium to full body. Very drinkable. Well done.

650ml bottle from brewery. A creamy rich medium off-white head. Aroma is strong on the malts with some nice hoppiness as well. Hoppy flavour with a strong malty finish.

650 ml bottle from the church, served at cellar temperature in a tulip glass. AP08/08 (misplaced this one!).

App.: Medium copper, clear, so-so off-white head. Aroma: Tangy, some piney hops, some caramel, sort of fruity and woody and earthy, a touch spicy. Palate: Medium body and medium-low carbonation, a bit syrupy. Flav.: More grapefruit hops, less pine, a fair hit of caramel and fruit, a touch earthy and woody, a bit peppery; off-dry, decent bitterness.

Decent IPA, not quite Imperial, not quite worth $10.

A dark brown amber ale with a thick light moka head. Aroma is rather caramelly, a bit spiced and herbal, treacle, pungeant hops as beer warms up. In mouth, amost like a saison, cookie malt, light chocolate, cinnamon. Very nice. Bottle from Probstk. Thanks Karl.

Aroma is full on citrus hops, big malt, copper, small tan head. Flavour is a burst of citrus, decent malt backing, with a hint of apple and cinnamon. Full bodied, very well balanced, sweet, bitter and bold. Great example.